


Out of Left Field

by DyslexicSquirrel



Series: Stony Bingo 2019 [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 15:30:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20117380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DyslexicSquirrel/pseuds/DyslexicSquirrel
Summary: Tony Stark hated jocks… or he had until the new kid transferred to their school.





	Out of Left Field

**Author's Note:**

> Stony Bingo 2019 round 2 (square S1)  
Prompt: stretching

Tony Stark hated jocks. It’s a truth universally accepted at their school. Everyone knows not to ask him to go to pep rallies or football games or donate to the Get Insert Sports Team New Uniforms fund. He’ll laugh at you and go back to doing something more important, which is anything other than that. 

Tony Stark hated jocks… or he had until the new kid transferred to their school. His step brother was another matter. “Bucky” Barnes was a rude, sarcastic guy and this school only had room for one of those and Tony was already filling that spot, thanks. But Steven Grant Rogers? (He might have had his friend Pepper who volunteered in the principal's office find out his name) Well, he was another story. 

Steve (that’s what everyone called him Tony had found out) was the kind of blonde and blue eyed that should have been boring, but he somehow made the most attractive thing Tony had seen in, well, ever. He was tall and built in a way that usually put him off (read: hates jocks), but Tony kept finding his eyes drifting to him whenever they were in the same room. 

He played football, was the damn quarterback, for Christ’s sake, but none of that seemed to matter. Tony wasn’t sure who he was anymore.

On top of being stupidly good looking? Steve was also a genuinely nice guy. He wasn’t mean to anyone, stuck up for the kids who got picked on, in fact. He said hello to people in the halls, had a laugh that was infectious, and a smile that brightens a room (and since when did he spout flowery crap like that?). There  _ had  _ to be something wrong with him; Tony was convinced. 

“Why are you so determined to find a flaw in this guy?” Pepper had asked him a few days ago and Tony hadn’t been able to answer her. 

“Because he doesn’t want to be attracted to a meathead,” Rhodey has piped up from the other side of the table at lunch. 

“Don’t call him that,” Tony had automatically defended and then wanted to smack himself when Rhodey smirked and Pepper blinked at him. “Oh, just shut up both of you,” he’d snapped and left the cafeteria. 

So, Tony May have ended up spending the last couple days <strike>spying</strike> investigating Steve Rogers to find out  _ what was wrong with him. _ The only problem was that Tony 1) hadn’t found any hidden flaws (he really seemed to be a hot, nice guy who just happened to be a jock) and 2) he saw Steve stretching before practice yesterday. 

Blame stupid, teenage hormones maybe (he might be a genius, but he was still a high school senior), but Tony’s brain short circuited. He’d been walking past the practice field, ostensibly on his way to somewhere else, reading a book for cover, when he glanced up and there was Steve, bent over, touching his toes. 

The guy had a really nice ass. And in those stupid, tight football pants he was only now starting to appreciate? Well… yeah. He might have become a tad obsessed. 

He watched all the scheduled practices (covertly) and he might have (not on purpose) found out what days Steve came to school early to work out and he might have, (once—accidentally) ended up at a football game with Pepper, who was dating some kid in marching band named Happy. 

“Why don’t you just talk to him, Tony?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he told her, pretending to read so no one would notice him watching the game. Pepper had scoffed, but let it drop and ignored him the rest of the night. Tony had not watched Steve throw around a stupid ball in those. Damn. Pants. 

Tony thought he’d been so smooth and stealthy, but if he had been Steve wouldn’t have just walked up behind him and said, “Hey,” now would he? Tony squeaked, and if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, slammed into his locker when he turned around. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I,” Tony started, but had to clear his throat. “I’m fine.” 

“Okay.” Steve was still frowning at Tony with his perfect face, looking at him with concerned blue eyes. 

He stood up straighter, pushing his shoulders back. And because he was feeling unnerved what came out of his mouth next was a snarky, “Can I help you?” 

Steve blinked at him, tugging on the straps of his backpack. “Well, actually.” He started blushing. Every higher power save me, Tony thought because the guy was legit blushing. “I was wondering if you had a date for prom.” 

“What now?” That sentence didn’t make sense. 

“Prom. Uh, are you going? I mean, would you like to go. With me.”

“You’re asking me to prom?” 

“Yes.” 

“ _ You’re  _ asking me to prom?” 

“Yes,” Steve said again, now sounding uncertain and Tony didn’t blame him. 

“Why?” The question shot out of his mouth with no authorization from his higher brain function.

“Because,” Steve struggled to answer and Tony felt his shoulder start to slump. This was some pity thing or a joke and he felt stupid for even one second thinking Steve would like him, but guess what? He didn’t need Steve’s pity or him to like him. But thenSteve said, “Because you’re smart.” His head jerked up, eyes finding Steve’s. He looked so earnest. “And you’re cute.” Steve thought he was cute. “And, uh, also because my brother said you’ve been checking me out so I figured I had a shot.” 

Stupid Bucky. And stupid him for thinking he had been so secretive about it. Tony rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, but he admitted, “I might have. Once or twice.” He bit his lip. “You really think I’m smart?” 

“Tony,” Steve huffed, chuckling. “You’re like the smartest kid in school. Of course, I think you’re smart.” 

“And cute?” He started to smile and took a step closer so they almost touched. 

“Yeah.” Steve’s hands tightened around his backpack strap. 

Tony grinned, reaching out to grip Steve’s letterman jacket. “Okay, I’ll go to prom with you.” 

And that was how Tony Stark, hater of jocks, ended up dating the quarterback of the football team. Prom was a big group affair. Pepper and Happy, Rhodey and Carol, Bucky and his boyfriend from his old school Sam (who drove two hours to get there—Tony was impressed by his dedication). They all met at his house and piled in a limo after his mom took a million pictures and his dad told them to make sure to be back on time so he didn’t have to pay the driver overtime. Steve bought Tony a corsage, not a boutineer, and it was perfect. They danced and laughed with their friends and maybe, Tony would admit to himself, Bucky wasn’t really  _ that  _ bad. And if Tony and Steve snuck off to make out in a coat closet, well, what the chaperones didn’t find out wouldn’t hurt them. 

The last year of high school was so different from the previous three and not just because he was wearing his boyfriend’s letterman jacket, his boyfriend who happened to be a jock. He was happy in a way he couldn’t remember being before. It wasn’t all Steve, a relationship hadn’t suddenly fixed all his problems, but he definitely helped. Steve still blushed when Tony kissed him in the halls and it was just too cute. 

Tony was going to MIT in the fall and Steve got a full ride to Boston College cause sports. They’d only be like four miles away from each other (Tony might have Googled that). 

They were sitting in the bed of Steve’s pick up one night, Tony cradled between Steve’s arms and legs, his back against Steve’s chest. “I was thinking…” 

“Hmm?” Tony prompted when Steve trailed off and didn’t pick back up. 

Steve propped his chin on Tony’s shoulder. “I was thinking that maybe, at some point, we could move in together.” 

Tony shifted around until he could see Steve’s face. “What?” 

“In Boston.” Steve hesitated, biting at his bottom lip. “Not right away, but eventually. Maybe. If you wanted.” 

Tony turned until he was on his knees and looped his arms around Steve’s neck. He kissed him, playing with the hair at the back of his neck. When he pulled back it was just enough to speak, keeping his tone light and teasing. “You’re asking me to move in with you.” 

Steve did smile or joke back. He looked Tony dead in the eye and said, “I love you.” 

Tony blinked at Steve for a moment then leaned back and smacked him on his chest. Steve looked at him with wounded eyes, hand pressed to the spot Tony had smacked even though it couldn’t have hurt because Tony barely tapped him, but Tony felt a goofy smile trying to break through the frown he tried to keep up to make a point. “You’re telling me this  _ now _ ?” 

“Yeah, why?” 

“It’s not exactly that romantic m. We’re sitting in your truck which is parked in my parent’s driveway and my mom is probably watching us from the window.” Tony gestured to said window and there was a tell tale flutter of a curtain. 

“Anywhere with you is romantic, babe,” Steve declared, hands coming to rest on Tony’s hips under the letterman jacket which Tony was wearing even though it was summer and it was  _ hot _ . He didn’t like taking it off cause it was Steve’s and they couldn’t be together 24/7 for practical reasons. 

“That’s nice, but this means I can’t kiss you the way I want.” Tony poured and let himself be pulled in to Steve’s chest and wrapped in Steve’s arms. “I love you, too,” he said softly into Steve’s neck. 

They sat like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, but of course Tony couldn’t just let it rest. He sat up. “And of course I’ll move in with you. Maybe sophomore or junior year. I want to take advantage of that meal plan my parents are going to buy me—”

Tony broke off with a shout when Steve started tickling him and he ended up flat on his back, panting laughs, with Steve braced above him. Steve nipped at his lower lip. “Your mom can’t see us now.” 

“Give it a few minutes,” Tony said rolling his eyes. “She’ll come out to check on us because she probably think we’re having sex and the neighbors will be so scandalizes.” 

There wasn’t a lot of light out here, but Tony knew that Steve was blushing. He huffed a laugh, pressing their foreheads together. “Just shut up and kiss me.” 

So Tony did. 

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note on the title: I am aware “out of left field” is not a football term, okay? And that Steve plays football. But Tony hates sports and usually hates jocks so he doesn’t know these things lol


End file.
